Monday, November 23, 2009

Benjamin Zander on music and passion

Reminds me of my old music teacher from secondary school up in Kendal, Harry Hayton. Mind you I lasted until I was 16/17 years old, thanks to him and his passion. I kept the passion but lost the practice. I find this post really engageing. Hope you like it:

Friday, November 13, 2009

"An up-and-coming indie pop band from Warrington has attracted interest from two major record labels."

This was in a recent news headliner that we thought we would share with you all... Amy studied at the Cornerstone. Far as we know she graduated in 2007 (Amy, help?). She's gone on to great things... read on to find out how...

Selfish Lovers, a four-piece, will meet representatives from BRM Music and Animal Music, in London, this Saturday. The band has been together for about eight months and lead singer and song writer, Amy Bielizna, aged 23, said: "We've had a really good response so far and we're excited about what the future holds for us." The Beautiful South's Paul Heaton has been mentoring the band, which is also made up of Martin Paul Raynor, aged 35, on drums, Phil Bond, aged 28, on lead guitar, and Stephen Packam, aged 30, on rhythm guitar. Amy, a former WoolstonCommunityHigh School pupil who went on to study classical music at HopeUniversity, Liverpool, said her musical icon was Debbie Harry, known as Blondie.

A Selfish Lovers album is now in the pipeline, which will feature strong synth sounds with a light-hearted pop twist. Amy added: "Our image might be based around Blondie but the sound is all ours. It's music that's easy going and energetic." The band has already performed in Manchester venues such as The Roadhouse and Night & Day cafe but cites Warrington's The Blue Bell pub as its favourite haunt because of the friendly atmosphere and good acoustics.

The band's songs, with titles such as Summer Song, Good Time Girl and Dancer, draw on everyday situations that people can relate to. Selfish Lovers rehearse at the Original Wire pub, on Orford Lane, three times a week and said they have constantly developed and tweaked their songs to keep them fresh.Amy said: "We just want to get our foot in the door of the music industry, doing what we love"

Thursday, June 04, 2009

Today, yes today 4th June, 2009 is the anniversary of the 2008 Big Hope World Youth Congress held here at Hope Park. I do not think there was a single delegate at the Congress who did not go away a somewhat different person, and in some cases a very different person!

As Bill Chambers, the main driving force behind the Big Hope, said in an email earlier today:

"I have just got up to a new day and my immediate thought has been today is the first anniversary of the Big Hope, an event which for me was one of the most significant personal and professional experiences of my life. Please keep on with all we discusssed and acted upon during that wonderful week in 2008. "

Ken Pye, another key player in bringing the event to fruition adds:

"(Today) will remind me of what a wonderful experience it was for me, to work with you all - even though it was for just a short while. But what particularly delighted me was the knowledge that, as long as there are people like you in the world, there is much more than hope; there is certainty."

There is no doubt Big Hope was a magnificent achievement. No one involved in planning the event could have imagined just how special it would be and indeed become. I am still today in contact with many people from the event, although I must admit that more than a little of that sand has already slipped away, forced out by the day to day demands that life subjects us to.

In 9 years from today the 'alumni' of the Big Hope will hopefully reconvene here at Hope Park for their Reunion... What changes may we be witness to then I wonder. . ?